Suspended Voices

The exhibition is part of the 5th edition of Traversées Africaines, a program featuring 24 exhibitions across galleries, art centers, and museums in Paris and the Île-de-France region.

Through this two-voiced exhibition, Au-delà du regard (Beyond the Gaze) immerses us in a deep exploration of identity, collective memory, and resilience in the face of the social realities of the African continent. Moses Mous, a Cameroonian artist, and Sisqo Ndombe, a Congolese painter, meet in a powerful pictorial dialogue, carried by the intensity of the gazes and faces they depict. But beyond this striking visual presence, it is the question of the scar—physical, psychological, historical—that becomes the guiding thread of their work.

For Sisqo Ndombe, also known as Lenoir, the gaze becomes a silent language, a bridge between personal experience and collective struggles. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa, he develops an expressive form of painting, worked directly with his fingers, where the cracks in the faces reveal deep fissures—metaphors of buried, shared, and often inexpressible pain. These striations are not decorative; they testify. They embody the suffering of forgotten communities, political disillusionment, and the abandonment of a people by their leaders. The fragmented faces he paints become sensitive archives of a generation caught between anxiety and the yearning for a future.

In response to this poignant expressiveness, Moses Mous offers a form of painting equally committed, yet imbued with a breath of hope. Born in Maroua, in a region of Cameroon harshly impacted by Boko Haram’s violence, he has developed a unique technique: sgraffito, which involves scarifying the canvas with a razor blade. This scarification, removed from its traditional or symbolic use, becomes a gesture of sublimation. Where the blade might wound, it instead illuminates: it outlines forms, brings forth figures, and releases light from beneath the surface. In his work, the scar is not merely a mark of pain—it is also proof of survival, an act of creation.

Each in their own way, the two artists give shape to the memory of African wounds while asserting the body’s and soul’s capacity to rise, rebuild, and redefine themselves. One works the material with his fingers to expose the cracks of a disillusioned world; the other cuts into the surface to reveal the beauty hidden within hardship.

By bringing together these two visual languages, Au-delà du Regard invites us to look past appearances, to question the visible and invisible scars that shape our identities. This is a deeply inhabited exhibition—between silent rage and unshakable faith—where art becomes a space for dialogue, memory, and inner transformation.

CV Moses Mous

MOSES MOUS

Moses Mous, whose real name is Moussa Issarou, was born in 1995 in Maroua, in the far north of Cameroon. He is the youngest of 12 children and grew up in a creative environment. When his father discovered his talent, he promised to nurture his artistic gift, a turning point in his journey.

Initially, Moses trained in drawing, screen printing, and calligraphy. He further pursued studies in French Modern Literature and Fine Arts, fulfilling his father's promise. He became involved in numerous events and collaborated with various artists while continuing to explore his artistic vision. This gained him recognition, allowing him to exhibit internationally.

Mous' work centers on a humanistic and optimistic perspective. He strives to present the daily lives of Cameroonian youth, highlighting the strength and resilience of his people in the face of many challenges. Maroua, his hometown, is part of the region that has suffered numerous attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram, leaving deep traumas. Mous aims to showcase the beauty and dignity of the African people, as well as their enduring hope, in an effort to dismantle stereotypes about Cameroon.

One of the key features of his work is the use of the sgraffito technique. The term sgraffito comes from the Italian word "sgraffiare," meaning to scratch. Moses uses a razor blade to scratch the paint on his canvases, shaping his characters. This method draws two analogies: the scarification of the canvas symbolizes the hardships experienced by the African people, and it also represents a way to transform pain into hope, serving as a symbol of resilience. The use of warm colors adds vibrancy and balance, reflecting the harmony he perceives amid chaos. Moses' paintings convey a message of determination and hope in the face of adversity. Through his art, he seeks to inspire his contemporaries to persevere and believe in a better future.

Some of his notable exhibitions include his participation in the 2020 "Rentrée Culturelle" and the International Visual Arts Colloquium "Arts and Emergence in Africa." In 2021, his talent was recognized when he won the "Concours Jeunes Espoirs" at Doual’Art. That same year, his work was featured in the exhibition "VISION," organized by the Regional Delegation of Arts and Culture in the Far North of Cameroon. After collaborating with TAAG Gallery in the United States in 2022, Janet Rady Fine Art showcased his work at the London Art Fair in January 2023. In October 2023, his convictions were highlighted at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva during the exhibition "The Art of Equality: A Journey to Justice." The 2024 "Green Planet" exhibition, held with Harry Mensah at Espace Bolo in Douala, further strengthened his presence in the art world and underscored his commitments. Most recently, he exhibited at the MAC.A Foundation Gallery in Asilah, Morocco, in 2024.